->''"In war, one should seek to take and hold the high ground. From there, the enemy's movements are clearly visible, and he will struggle just to reach you, let alone fight you. High orbit is the highest ground there is."''-->-- ''[[BigBookOfWar The Codex Astartes]]'', ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''

When it absolutely, positively, has to be destroyed on time, nothing beats your own remote-controlled, satellite-mounted laser cannon.

A variation of the WaveMotionGun, Kill Sats have the added advantage that you don't need to be anywhere near either the weapon or the target. Instead, you can fire it from the safety of your headquarters: your satellite will move into position and unleash a shiny descending PillarOfLight on your unsuspecting target. Power/accuracy on Kill Sats vary, ranging from "lone vehicle" to "entire building" to (rarely) "town or small city." [[EarthShatteringKaboom Planet busters]] are another category entirely, as firing them remotely from ''anywhere'' on the surface is inadvisable.

Since it's considered poor form to snipe your opponent from such a risk-free distance, Kill Sats are generally the realm of villains. So-called good guys who [[NukeEm resort to these]] will, at best, [[TheWorfBarrage fail miserably]]. If EverythingIsOnline in their world (and you know it is), there is always the risk of control falling into the wrong hands.

In video games, Kill Sats are frequently used by the good guys (ie the player) but usually requiring some sort of targeting system on the ground in the vicinity of the target (distance varies from a few meters to a few miles). If the good guys ''do'' have one, its precision and accuracy are emphasized, often by providing the bad guys with a less precise weapon of equivalent power (such as a nuclear missile).

Of course, in the hands of either side, it would end the story in a hurry if these could be used repeatedly -- none of the opposing side could poke their nose into the open without risking vaporization. Therefore:* It's prohibitively expensive, time-intensive, and/or just plain difficult to get it moved over the target and charged, making it something that can't be used regularly or that can be avoided.* ItOnlyWorksOnce, because there was only enough power/ammo to fire it the one time, or because the heroes sabotage it or its control system before the villains can shoot again.* Some combination of the above two, the former giving the opportunity for the heroes to do the latter.* Its firepower is limited and slow, you can pick off soldiers or armored vehicles one at a time, but you can't use it to turn back a full-scale invasion. Thus, usage is reserved for important high-value targets. Or the exact opposite, it's a WeaponOfMassDestruction that can't even be considered until the GodzillaThreshold is reached.

Alternatively, it's not active at all yet, in which case the story centers around making sure it never gets off its first shot. In these cases it generally leans toward [[WeaponOfMassDestruction the powerful end of the scale]].

Kill Sats sometimes display the orbital properties of their more benign counterparts, the SpySatellites, able to move themselves over any target in record time and then park themselves there to get off as many shots as they please. More often, thankfully, the writers actually pay attention to how satellites work and incorporate that into the plot ("we've got two hours to destroy the control center before the satellite is in position over our headquarters!")

Any villain seeking to get their private space program off the ground (pun most definitely intended) is probably doing so to put one of these bad boys in orbit ([[http://www.adventurers-comic.com/d/20030430.html never mind what it actually gets used for]]). Spy villains love these things. The AncientConspiracy may already have a full network of DeathRay Sats secretly in orbit, but they're careful about using it regularly, lest someone catch on.

The StandardSciFiFleet can and will take this UpToEleven, with the heavier ships turning their guns on a helpless planet below.

An early test fire of these may create the DoomedHometown.

The trope name is a parody of "[=TelSat=]", the TV satellite system.

A popular way to rain DeathFromAbove, and a subtrope of OrbitalBombardment. Compare WaveMotionGun, {{BFG}}, BigBulkyBomb, DoomsdayDevice, and ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill.

''[[TropeCo/KillSat This item]] is available in the TropeCo Catalog.''

----!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]* Parodied in ''Manga/HeavensLostProperty'', where Ikaros acts as a [[SeriousBusiness Peeping-Sat]] with a mirror (think Periscope). It then carried a [[MegatonPunch karate-chop]] back ([[RuleOfFunny still through being reflected by the mirror]]), making it act as a Kill-Sat in reverse* SOL in ''Manga/{{Akira}}''. Used to sucker punch a rampaging [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Tetsuo]], [[AnArmAndALeg incinerating his right arm in one shot]]. The reason it didn't get a second chance varies: in the anime, Tetsuo flies up and crushes it while the military is still recalibrating; in the manga, [[VillainExitStageLeft he just runs away and goes into hiding]][[spoiler:, leaving the satellite available for the Colonel to use against him in the final battle.]]** As nice as SOL was, it's hard to argue against "Floyd", the Kill Sat used by the US Military near the end of the manga, having it beaten hands-down. Able to fire multiple beams at once, move the beam ''while'' firing, widen the beam... [[GeneralRipper the American commander]] actually orders ''[[NoKillLikeOverkill the entirety of Japan]]'' to be targeted at one point! [[spoiler:Not that any of these features kept Tetsuo from [[DeathFromAbove boarding the thing and crashing it on top of the US command carrier...]]]]*** Although only Floyd makes an actual appearance, it is perhaps worth noting that it was introduced as "the only one currently in range of Neo-Tokyo"... [[FridgeHorror so, just how many ARE there...?]]* ''BattleProgrammerShirase'' has a technique called "Three Sisters Deathblow", where three scrapped Cosmos satellites are programmed for re-entry. The first two serve to shield the third from atmospheric heat, so that it can enter the atmosphere intact and precisely hit a target on the ground (or sea).* One of the major subplots in the original ''BubblegumCrisis'' revolved around a MacGuffin which would allow a [[ArtificialHuman Boomer]] to gain control of the military's network of Kill Sats.* ''SpaceBattleshipYamato'' had a few of these. The first series had a series of Gamilon mirror satellites working in conjunction with a planet-based BFG, and the second had a proper kill sat in Earth orbit.* The first anime Kill Sat was in ''Manga/CatsEye'', but they got the idea from ''Film/DiamondsAreForever''.* The Damocles from ''CodeGeass''. Technically not a satellite but a floating fortress armed with a cannon that shoots [[SphereOfDestruction FLEIA warheads]], but since it was supposed to be flown out of the atmosphere and placed on a geosynchronous orbit, it fulfills all the criteria for a Kill Sat (it's in space, it rains doom on people).* The ''CowboyBebop'' episode "Jamming With Edward" featured a network of satellite-mounted lasers. They were built in an attempt to reduce the severity of meteor showers after [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the moon was destroyed]] by the [[PhlebotinumBreakdown hyperspace gate explosion.]] During the story, an [[InstantAIJustAddWater A.I. which evolved in the network]] used them to carve graffiti on unoccupied areas of the planet surface to recreate the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_Lines Nasca Lines]]. And then automated defense programs activated when Spike came to collect a bounty on it and tried to blast his fighter...* Mikawa Kai uses a NASA Kill Sat in an effort to destroy the "Terminator" in ''SetoNoHanayome''.* In ''GreatMazinger'' -the sequel of ''MazingerZ''-, [[TheDragon Great Marshall of Hell]] fabricated a massive lens of ice orbited around Earth and worked like a Kill Sat by focusing sunrays in one single point and blasting it with a massive, hot-melting [[DeathFromAbove heat ray]]. It appeared only in one of the manga continuities, though.* Used in ''NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater''. Especially impressive considering the series takes place in the 19th century (the satellite was Atlantean technology).* Jiro from ''HajimeteNoAKu'' has one, on top of that it has ridiculously accurate aim, able to shoot glasses of the heroines face without hurting her.* The original ''SolBianca'' OAV cheats a little, when Feb hides herself on an orbiting Space Ring with a ''very'' long-ranged [[{{BFG}} laser sniper rifle]] to help her friends escape from their own execution on the planet below.* ''GallForce'' ups the scale considerably with [[ThatsNoMoon a planet-sized energy cannon]] orbiting the sun.* Artemis, the trump card for the Searrs Foundation in ''Anime/{{Mai-HiME}}'', is actually a meaningfully-named gigantic ''[[{{Mons}} Mon]]'' in orbit.* A pin-point precise version of this goes haywire in the ''Anime/AllPurposeCulturalCatGirlNukuNuku'' [=OAV=].* The [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs Radam-occupied]] Orbital Ring around Earth in ''Anime/TekkamanBlade'' is used for orbital bombardment in several episodes.* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'', naturally, featured a comedic variation: Otae actually uses one of these in an episode as protection against Kondou stalking outside her dojo, along with spiked fences and pratfalls.* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' included a Kill Sat angel. Eva being Eva, it fired a [[spoiler:MindRape beam at you to the tune of the [[SoundtrackDissonance Hallelujah]] chorus from Handel's ''Messiah'']]. [[spoiler:Asuka]] was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of said beam, and needless to say, [[HeroicBSOD the results were not pretty]].** A different Angel started out dropping bits of itself on the city, gradually target-tracking onto the geofront, at which point the whole thing [[ColonyDrop came crashing down]] and the Evas have to run up and catch it.* Surely ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'''s [[spoiler:Anti-Spiral-controlled]] Cathedral Terra counts? Okay, the heroes nip its firing sequence in the bud, but it had several hundred (if not thousand) massive death rays trained on the planet, and it was ([[spoiler:disguised as]]) the planet's [[IncrediblyLamePun natural satellite]] at the time.* The AMP in ''SilentMobius'' has access to a Kill Sat, which seems to be privately owned by member Lebia Maverick. It also [[spoiler: acts as her second brain, providing a ridiculous amount of extra data storage]]. Its name is [[{{Disney}} Donald]].* In the final episode of ''{{Mnemosyne}}'', TechnoWizard Mimi hijacks a Kill Sat belonging to her friend's [[MegaCorp company]] and uses it in an attempt to stop the BigBad's plan. [[spoiler:She fails.]]* ''Manga/FairyTail'' features the Etherion, a magical version of this. It takes about an hour for the Council to charge it up, and then it blasts down with the power of more than two billion, seven hundred million ideas of magical energy, which is about equivalent to the combined magical energies of all the wizards on the continent. According to one member of the Council, its destructive power is sufficient to wipe an entire country off the face of the planet. Naturally, the arc's villain absorbs the magical energy so he can use it as a power battery for his spell to resurrect history's most infamous black wizard.* The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Death-Para Machine]] from ''TransformersSuperGodMasterforce'', which had the power to destroy Earth's ozone layer.* {{Utawarerumono}}. You won't know where it is though... [[spoiler: Until episode 24, when Mikoto/Kamyu uses a powerful magic to obliterate a country. The next episode, we are given a glimpse on how it actually works... arrays of satellite-mounted beam cannons.]]* Kill Sats show up in many ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series, although they aren't quite as common as the ColonyDrop.** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' has the Solar Ray.** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'' has the Gryps Colony Laser.** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Victory Gundam]]'' has the Keilas Guilie... and it is [[spoiler:still around in ''Anime/TurnAGundam''.]]** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]'' has the Space Fortress Barge and Space Fortress Libra.** ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' also has a colony laser.** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Gundam SEED]]'' has the GENESIS.** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny Gundam SEED Destiny]]'' has the Requiem and the [[spoiler:Neo-GENESIS]].** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'' has the Memento Mori.[[spoiler: Both of them.]]** According to the backstory given in the original Gundam novels, the reason space colonization was needed was due to the Federation bombarding the Earth with kill sats ''entirely by accident''. They tried to solve the world's energy problems with solar power satellites, but miscalculated the power of the microwave beams used to transmit the energy to the surface and almost burned off the entire atmosphere.* ''GetterRobo'' features two of these, in HumongousMecha form. The first, from the ''Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo'' OVA dispenses countless meteorites over North America, some of which are so large that they function as drop pods for ''other'' HumongousMecha. The second is in the ''GetterRobo Go'' manga, and is of the laser variety. Though it can apparently fire multiple times in succession.* ''MacrossPlus'' reveals that, decades after Space War I, Earth has upgraded its defenses with a network of ''hundreds of thousands'' of densely-packed, automated Kill Sats that serve a dual purpose: vaporize orbital debris before it falls into the atmosphere, and discouraging invasion from external forces. When [[TheAce Isamu]] has to navigate this network and force his way into Earth, his only hope is to shoot down a couple of communication sats, hide among the falling debris, and ''pray''. His companion has so little faith in their chances he just shuts himself off into hibernation.** On that subject, the conclusion to Space War I: the Main Zentraedi Fleet folds in and the first thing they do is shoot the Earth with several million (NotHyperbole) {{Wave Motion Gun}}s, turning most the surface into an arid wasteland and exterminating 90% of the human population.* ''{{Dancougar}}'' handles this differently; the Kill Sat hits the ''sword'' of the titular machine, creating a gigantic laser sword for it to use.* ''Main/YuGiOh'' ** In the ''Anime/YuGiOh'' Virtual Nightmare filler arc, Gozaboro Kaiba's former right-hand man [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Lecter]] who takes the form of Jinzo summons, a monster called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Satellite Cannon]], which is quite a pain to Kaiba until he finally summons BEWD and destroys it. (Lector hints in the original version that Gozaburo was working on a real version of a Kill Sat before he was ousted from his position.) ** ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' -- Securing the two keys of one of these was plot for the last third of the second season. Coincidentally, its owner duels with a deck built around his veritable love for Kill Sats, not only using Satellite Cannon but a much larger Fusion of three of them.*** The [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Satellite_Cannon card itself]] is just as [[RuleOfCool Cool]] It cannot be destroyed by battle with anything less than Level 8 (signifying the difficulties of attacking it), Gains 1000 attack per turn (charging for its attack), and sadly looses its attack after attacking (empty, reload). This has some [[FridgeHorror potential problems]] when you realize that [[ExactWords you do not have to attack with it to have it be in a battle (if it attacks, then and only then does it lose its attack)]]. Many cards [[CompellingVoice force your opponent to attack]] and some even allow you to [[PsychicAssistedSuicide control who your opponent attacks]]. You can even summon ''three'' of them at once using a Spell Card called Machine Duplication.* In ''NajicaBlitzTactics'', one of the [[RobotGirl android girls]] actually is the remote control for a Kill Sat, making a fair grab for the sexiest use of this trope in fiction.* In ''EurekaSeven'', Dewey Novak fires one called "Oratorio #8" once at the Scab Coral to make a hole for [=TheEND=] to fly through, and again to target the beacon [=TheEND=] placed on the Control Cluster. After the second shot, the thing self-destructed and STILL rained death down on the poor planet with its highly explosive debris.* ''Manga/ShamanKing'' has one of these which is used against the main villain Hao Asakura, but he is unhurt by it. It was also detrimental for the other shaman [[spoiler:as it caused the world to become aware of their presence on the island.]]* ''Franchise/{{Zoids}}'':** There's one in the ''Anime/ZoidsNewCentury'' series, as a side function of the Judge satellite. While it doesn't usually come up because the enemy uses Dark Judges, which skew the battle in their favor, in one specific instance there's a regular Judge on the battlefield and the bad guys ignore him completely, prompting him to call down a barrage that completely frags the remaining enemies and their AirborneAircraftCarrier.** Near the end of the series during a tournament, the Backdraft Group calls down a whole bunch of different Dark Judges. As they're defeated on the ground, the real judging authority has a very large satellite covered in gun turrets that blows the satellites out of the sky.* In ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' [[spoiler: [[RobotGirl Chachamaru]]'s artifact]] is this. ''[[CuteKitten And it's shaped like a cat]]''.* ''Anime/ElHazardTheMagnificentWorld'' arguably has two: Ifurita, a [[PersonOfMassDestruction Miniature Death Star With Breasts]], and the Eye of God, a [[WaveMotionGun superweapon]] which steps up the game by being able to ''selectively'' destroy a planet.* Wormhole Driver from ''TheThirdTheGirlWithTheBlueEye'' is an old (but still fully operational) Kill Sat capable of creating Black Holes on top of the targeted area (which means that depending on the power used in such attack it can most likely destroy anything up to the entire planet)* The GHQ's satellite laser "Leucocyte" in ''GuiltyCrown''. [[spoiler:All 256 of them. Or rather, all ''three'' of them, and two of them were destroyed in episode 6. The 256 number was a bluff pulled by a guy with massive steel balls, and the U.N. ''bought it.'' The last remaining satellite was not in a position to deal any damage.]]* ''FatePrototype'' brings us Archer: his twin swords join to form a bow, yet the arrow fired from the bow itself is nothing more than a targeting beacon for a magical version of this trope.* ''LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' featured two variants of Kill Sat, both of which are designed as space-based defences: the giant Iserlohn Fortress occupying an important choke-point in the Imperial frontier and the Artemis Necklace network of battle-satellites orbiting around the Alliance capital planet.* Saya from ''Manga/{{Onidere}}'' has access to a Kill Sat that strikes her father every time she says a phrase. However her [[MadeOfIron father is so tough]] that despite destroying his house he doesn't even notice it.* ''Anime/LupinIIITravelsOfMarcoPoloAnotherPage'': Zeal, Bernardo’s satellite-based laser weapon, which incinerates everything it touches.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comics]]* The final issue of the ''ComicBook/GlobalFrequency'' comic is based around a preset plan by the US government to cause a population reduction by blasting a few major cities with Kill Sats. These are kinetic harpoons, a single shot weapon mostly by virtue of being a fancy orbiting crossbow that fires an artificial diamond at enough speed that the kinetic energy goes off like a nuke when it strikes the ground.* A kinetic harpoon also appears in ''[[ComicBook/{{Blackhawk}} Blackhawks]]'', though this one is armed with bunches of tungsten rods. Wildman is in love with the concept -- "Why spend all the money and resources building a laser or a missile when an inert object traveling at Mach Ten does the same amount of damage?"* The last StoryArc of the original ''ComicBook/{{Grendel}}'' series features the Sun-Disk, a superweapon used only once (to level Japan and and a future cold war), before its creator disables it and dies.* [[spoiler:Zodon's 'modifications' to the lunar lander]] in ''ComicBook/PS238''.* An orbital particle beam cannon shows up in ''{{Planetary}}''.* The MarvelComics version of ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe]]'' had a kill sat with the command centre hidden in the Chrysler Building. The IDW series that carries on the Marvel continuity also uses it.* Franchise/{{Batman}}: The rogue Brother Eye satellite that Batman built can be used as a kill sat, it even has the A.I necessary to use and control all of it's functions(yes, even the ''really'' deadly ones) on it's own, which [[OhCrap sucks]] for Earth.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]* A variation of Kill Sats appeared in the ''[[FanFic/AllThingsProbableSeries All Things Probable]]'' story: [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3785522/1/A_Friend_In_Darkness A Friend in Darkness]]. The villains of the story used a machine to seize control of the world's communication satellites and use them to channel a [[TakenForGranite pertrfication]] power across the world to create an army of {{Living Statue}}s.** The villain with this power also had a more destructive [[ShockAndAwe lightning bolt attack]], and some readers [[FridgeLogic wonder why the villain didn't channel that through the satellites]].* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has an image macro titled "Hate Detected. Firing The Orbital Friendship Cannon. (It's not actually a Kill Sat though, just SpeedLines combined with MundaneMadeAwesome). [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x8bZJPovUQ This]] [[WebVideo/MLPFIMFanFic fanvid]], however, plays it straight.* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', Kyon's {{Morph Weapon}}s can assemble into a Kill Sat called "[[ShoutOut Spear]] [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} the Gungnir]]".* During TheEmiyaClan Christmas Special [[{{Tsukihime}} Zelretch]] is shown to have a orbital railgun, in the shape of a giant yellow smiley face. It's used to great effect.* In the crossover story ''FanFic/TheBridge'', an upgraded version of Dimension Tide from ''Film/GodzillaVsMegaguirus'' pops back up. It does land a shot and manages to net Godzilla jr., Mothra, Destroyah, Anguirus, Rodan, and Spacegodzilla all in one hit.... And transports them to Equestria instead of killing them. [[spoiler: And then the BigBad hijacked control of it to send him and his forces after them]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]* The Zeus space cannon in ''Anime/FinalFantasyTheSpiritsWithin''.* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'', a kid with a [[SolarPoweredMagnifyingGlass magnifying glass]] functions as the insect-sized version of this. He vaporizes one [[{{Mook}} soldier ant]] before chasing the protagonists down with a beam of sunlight. They get away, but end up hopelessly lost in the process.* This is how WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}} actually kills [=MetroMan=]. [[spoiler: Except that it turns out that [=MetroMan's=] NotQuiteDead...]]** In the straight-to-video ''Megamind: The Buttom of Doom'', the villain-turned-hero Megamind tries to sell off all his "evil" inventions at a garage sale, including the Kill Sat, which he markets as a barbeque starter. This is the only item he fails to sell. Of course, it turns out to be useful in the end [[spoiler:when he has to destroy a HumongousMecha he built a long time ago programmed to kill heroes, who he now happens to be]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]* The Death Star from ''StarWars''. It's a space station filled with millions of staff, stuffed to the bursting point with weaponry, and has a planet shattering superlaser built right into it!** The Death Star is mobile and in fact there would be no point to it if it wasn't. It is basically a giant starship that is called a space station.*** there is no contradiction between something being mobile and also being a space station. any long term base for manned operations in space is a space station. the death star has a permanent staff of over 1,000,000, so it definitely qualifies as a long term base.* Dr. Evil's "Alan Parsons Project" in ''AustinPowers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''. He cheated a little by putting it on the Moon, but that's still in orbit.** [[FridgeBrilliance This is]] [[JustifiedTrope actually justified]] as the Moon is a '''natural satellite''', making this the only genuine [[TropeName Kill Sat]].* ''Film/JamesBond'' villains loved this one:** DiabolicalMastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld helped [[TropeMaker pioneer this trope]] in ''Film/DiamondsAreForever''. Willard Whyte, a faintly disguised version of Howard Hughes, is a reclusive billionaire who supposedly put a satellite into orbit as part of his Aerospace operations, [[spoiler:only to discover it was actually Blofeld, impersonating Whyte, who went on to use the satellite's ability to focus the sun's light into a coherent beam and thus fire a laser anywhere on earth to attack important locations such as nuclear missile launch facilities or nuclear submarines]].** ''Film/{{Moonraker}}'' had a slight twist on it: Hugo Drax's Kill Sat was also an inhabited space station, where his master race would remain safe and sound while nerve gas wiped out the rest of humanity.** The titular weapons in ''Film/{{Goldeneye}}'' were single-shot EMP-based Kill Sats. The first one is used to cover up the theft of the satellite control codes by destroying the operations base. The BigBad plotted to use the second one to knock out London (and all evidence of a grand electronic bank raid to be completed first), but was stopped by Bond and his [[GirlOfTheWeek Girl of the Movie]], Natalya.** The villain in ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' makes an orbital mirror that doubles as a Kill Sat. Much like Blofeld's version, the weapon used diamonds to focus the energy.* In ''Film/RealGenius'', the lead characters are duped by their college professor into building a laser which is intended as the main weapon for a Kill Sat. [[spoiler:They retaliate by sabotaging the test to have it destroy the duplicitous professor's home. [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment With popcorn.]]]]** Technically, the weapon would be mounted on a shuttle, not on a satellite, as shown by the demo video at the start of the movie. It's still insta-death from orbit for anyone it hits though. * The plot of the Steven Seagal movie ''[[UnderSiege Under Siege 2]]'' revolves around a DiabolicalMastermind seizing control of a military Kill Sat and threatening to use it to blow up Washington, D.C. Bonus points are awarded since the DiabolicalMastermind was the one who had built the satellite for the government in the first place before [[NotQuiteDead faking his own death]].\\\\More bonus points are awarded for being a Kill Sat that shoots ''earthquakes''. Extreme bonus points are awarded for being a Kill Sat that shoots ''earthquakes'' but still manages to destroy ostensibly high-flying ''bomber planes''.* In ''Film/GodzillaVsMegaguirus'' a satellite is used to [[spoiler:attack Godzilla and barely manages to get off a shot on target before it burns up]]. The fact that it fired a solid projectile which took almost a minute to get to the ground against a notably fast-moving target makes one wonder why they bothered to put it orbit.* The disaster movie ''Film/{{Meteor}}'' features two satellites armed with over a dozen nuclear weapons. It turns out Sean Connery designed one to be a defense against asteroids, but they thought it would be better used against Russia.* The protagonists in ''Film/SpaceCowboys'' go into space to fix what they're told is a communications satellite, only to find out it's an old Soviet Kill Sat armed with nuclear missiles and in danger of activating.* The ''Narada's'' drill from ''Film/StarTrek''. It seems to blast some kind of epic fire rather than an actual laser, but it can punch straight to the ''core of a planet''. [[spoiler:This turns out to be problematic for Vulcan, as it allows the Romulans to drop a ball of black-hole-creating matter to the core and literally make it implode.]] Something like that in the hands of angry and [[OmnicidalManiac "particularly troubled"]] Romulans? Oh sure, they get kinda [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds woobie]] with the backstory, but that still ain't a happy situation.* In ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'', Soundwave's alt mode is that of a satellite. Instead of normal projectiles, however, he fires other Decepticons, notably his minion Ravage. And if his toy bio has any credence, he's hacked so many satellites that he could pretty much destroy human civilization if he got bored.* The stolen MacGuffin in ''Film/EscapeFromLA'' is a control for a Kill Sat.** It's a control for a ''network'' of Kill Sats.* Although it didn't make it into the final product, an early draft script of the ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' [[TheMovie movie]] featured one of these. (None existed in the original comic.)* ''Film/MaximumOverdrive''. [[spoiler: At the end, the epilogue states that the alien mothership was destroyed by a Russian "weather satellite" equipped with a laser cannon and "Class IV Nuclear Missiles".]]* ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'': Cobra's Zeus satellites [[spoiler: which they use to break London like an egg.]]** Want to know something scary? That appears to be a very accurate depiction of how such a system would function in reality.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]* The fusion-powered microwave satellites in ''{{Duumvirate}}'' can burn and melt a building.* ''[[Literature/JackRyan The Cardinal of the Kremlin]]'' by Creator/TomClancy had as a major plot point the simultaneous development of anti-satellite weapons by the US and the USSR. As the lasers were ground-located, they weren't technically Kill Sats, but the US system included the ability to bounce the laser beam off of multiple orbiting mirrors, thus hitting any target on the planet. It worked, too, except that the laser was too weak to do much more than give the target a mild sunburn.* In Dan Simmons' ''Literature/HyperionCantos'', Fedmahn Kassad uses these to resolve a planet-wide hostage situation--by simultaneously attacking all of the terrorist ringleaders at once. The leader of the terrorists is even killed on live television mid-SedgwickSpeech, for bonus points.* A Kill Sat named [[FunWithAcronyms ODIN]] ( '''O'''rbital '''D'''efense '''IN'''itiative) appears in Philip Reeve's ''MortalEngines'' Quartet, especially in ''Infernal Devices'' and ''A Darkling Plain''. A semi-sentient one no less. You might even feel sorry for it after it's mini-BSOD.* ''TheNightsDawnTrilogy'' by Peter F. Hamilton has planets surrounded by swarms of these, known as "Strategic Defense satellites". They usually are pointed outward to defend against attacks from space, but can be used against surface targets with devastating effects.* ''Powersat'' by Creator/BenBova: a microwave power satellite is turned into a Kill Sat by a bunch of terrorists.* In ''Quicksilver'' by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, the titular satellite was intended to be a relatively harmless (to biological material) EMP blast, but instead caused some sort of [[AppliedPhlebotinum chain reaction]] which charged the air around the target to such a degree that hugely powerful bolts of lightning would strike the target instead.* Creator/DavidWeber's ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' series: the planet Safehold's prohibition on advanced technology is enforced by orbital platforms that, if they detect power sources, will unleash a [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter kinetic bombardment]] capable of devastating a small continent. Merlin is running extensive tests to determine what counts as a "power source". So far, no solution has been found to the main problem, [[spoiler: but we're up to steam engines with no response.]]* ''Silver Tower'' by DaleBrown. The title space station has a [[FrickinLaserBeams high energy laser weapon]] called Skybolt that's used to wipe out a swarm of Soviet cruise missiles and save an American naval fleet from destruction. It reappears in later books, but the Skybolt is eventually removed. ''Executive Intent'' has the Mjölnir/Thor's Hammer kinetic kill vehicles, transparently based on the RealLife "Rods from God".* ''Flight of the Old Dog'', which involved the Russians with a nuclear powered laser in Siberia. Later, they deploy a mirror sat, and the Americans deploy their own Kill Sat with X-Ray warheads in response.* ''StarWarsExpandedUniverse''** ''[[XWingSeries Wedge's Gamble]]'', Rogue Squadron remote-control-hijacks a solar mirror orbiting Imperial Center. The mirrors are used to redirect sunlight, but this one was focused on one of the water reclamation plants in order to raise the local humidity to create a massive thunderstorm and knock out the power at a shield generator. Nothing exploded, but there was quite a bit of steam and melting going on.** [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Base_Delta_Zero Base Delta Zero]].** In ''[[NewJediOrder Rebel Dream]]'', the New Republic pulls this off for the first time with Operation Emperor's Hammer, using the ''Lusankya'' to bombard the Yuuzhan Vong warriors assaulting the Borleias base.--> '''Wedge:''' "We're going to face them with an enemy they've never had the displeasure of fighting. We're going to hit them with the Empire." -->'''Tycho:''' "They're not going to like the Empire."** The novel ''[[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Shatterpoint]]'' features a De-Orbiting Kinetic Anti-emplacement Weapon, or DOKAW, that essentially drops a chunk of metal from orbit at 30,000 kilometers per hour.* One of the ultimate examples of this trope: Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/{{Ringworld}}'' is defended by a magnetically controlled X-Ray laser made by the forced-fluorescing of sunspots. The beam of this weapon is the width of Earth's moon. Sort of makes the Death Star seem wimpy in comparison.* In the book "Milan last stop" of Simone Farè, in a soft dystopic world, the city of Milan, Italy, has a secret PureEnergy and DeflectorShields and use it, among things, to create and launch such a satellite called "Giudecca", controlled by the same physicist who controls the city and created these technologies.* In the BizarroUniverse ''ComicBook/TransformersShatteredGlass'', the United States has a massive Kill Sat called the [[FunWithAcronyms Global Orbiting Defense Satellite]], which gets hijacked by the Autobots and used to hold the world hostage to their demands.* In the ''Literature/{{Riverworld}}'' series by Philip Jose Farmer, human history (as represented by the population of the Riverworld) ends when a fumbled first contact triggers a counterattack by an orbiting alien satellite that methodically lases every square mile of Earth into ash.* The Creator/DeanKoontz novel ''Dark Rivers of the Heart'' has a rare heroic use of one. One of the protagonists uses a back door to commandeer a Japanese laser satellite, using it to help make a getaway. The satellite is named Franchise/{{Godzilla}}.* In Creator/VernorVinge's story, "Literature/TrueNames", the Eye of God laser satellites are are the first military installations taken over during the climactic in-computer battle between the BigBad and Mr. Slippery/Erythina. Suddenly, things get real, and the danger of dying the True Death raises its head.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]* ''Series/BabylonFive'', "Endgame"; When Sheridan's forces arrive at Earth and easily overwhelm most of the remnants of [=EarthForce=] fleet, [[PresidentEvil President Clark]] kills himself, [[TakingYouWithMe after programming the planet's orbital defense system to take all of Earth with him]]. This means Sheridan's fleet must destroy the satellites before they fire.** The rebuilt orbital defense system shows up again in "A Call to Arms", and this time manages to fire their {{Wave Motion Gun}}s at the target, the Drakh fleet. The Drakh are ''obliterated''... But, sadly, not in time to stop them from infecting Earth with [[ThePlague their plague]].** The Expanded Universe has many other models from multiple factions. Honorable mention for capability and originality go to the the Abbai Alanti, the Orieni Skywatch and the Drazi Shodroma: where most models are just a large gun or missile launcher (or both) with thrusters for positioning and aiming, the Alanti, like most things put in space by the Abbai, has actual DeflectorShields, the Skywatch complements the laser cannons and missiles with ''[[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikaze drones to ram enemy targets]]'' (a standard Orieni weapon), and the Shodroma packs the same Drazi-designed WaveMotionGun of the Earth model (the blueprints of the weapon were given to Earth during the Earth-Minbari War as an apology for their inability to intervene and fight the Minbari).* In ''Series/TheXFiles'', the episode "Kill Switch" (written by WilliamGibson) centered around a network of Kill Sats, complete with a computer control system that [[InstantAIJustAddWater developed its own ideas]] about how to use it.* ''Franchise/StargateVerse''** In the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "Ethon", the Ori supply one of these to the Rand Protectorate, one of two feuding governments on the world of Tegalus. [[spoiler:It ends up destroying Earth's first starship, the ''Prometheus''.]]** Also, before the Ori, a network of Kill Sats is deployed ostensibly as a defense against ''external'' threats, but gets turned on terrestrial targets anyway as a scheme to TakeOverTheWorld. [[spoiler:By a ''main character''. But it was AllJustADream, intended to show him that YouAreNotReady.]]** The Asurans use a Kill Sat against Atlantis on ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. The Kill Sat itself is a big ship with a stargate embedded in it. The beam is fired on the Asuran homeworld through a stargate, and out the other onto Atlantis. The Expedition also uses one (though it's actually a space station, not a satellite) in order to destroy a Wraith hive ship while a fleet of Wraith is on its way to Atlantis in in the finale of the first season.** A much earlier example is in the season 4 episode ''Absolute Power''. The Harsesis (a human child born with the racial memories of [[PuppeteerParasite The Goa'uld]]) gives [[TheIdealist Daniel]] a sample of that knowledge after warning him that "Evil is too strong". Daniel uses that knowledge to lead the construction of a network of kill sats intended to defend the Earth from The Goa'uld, but then takes sole control over it and destroys Moscow to prove his power and discourage retaliation. [[spoiler:The entire thing was a dream given to him instead in order to teach him that]] [[DrunkWithPower Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely]].* The 1978 ''Series/{{Quatermass}}'' series (aka ''Quatermass IV'' or ''The Quatermass Conclusion'') featured an alien device that lured people into small areas and then engulfed them in a column of light. True Believers assumed that the light was transporting them to a better planet. No such luck. It was actually a kind of nasty and insidious form of Kill Sat, only just to make things worse there wasn't an actual satellite that could be shot down. There was something that the Russians launched nuclear missiles at, but it didn't work.** In the novelisation (by the scriptwriter) Quatermass theorises that it's a kind of energy field surrounding the Earth like a huge soap bubble. When it needs to fire it just concentrates its energy on one spot.* The heroes of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' are surprised and disturbed to find they have such a thing at their command (in the form of microwave laser satellites) after taking over Wolfram and Hart. Angel [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop considers using them to wipe out all the bad guys rather than continue to live as a corporate drone]].* The Xindi weapon in ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', [[spoiler: which blasts a corridor of death from Florida to Venezuela in literal scorched earth campaign.]]** And that was just the ''prototype''. The finished version was designed to ''literally'' create an EarthShatteringKaboom.* An early ''FirstWave'' episode has the protagonist investigate the death of a college student who is revealed to have been working on a government project to deploy a series of nuclear missile-armed satellites in Earth's orbit. While he initially assumes they're there to attack other nations, the fact that they're pointing ''away'' from Earth tips him off that the government is aware of (some sort of) an alien threat and are taking precautions. Unfortunately, the aliens find out about this and send their agent to set the satellites to self-destruct, showing Earth with radioactive material. Since [[TheChosenOne Cade]] foils this plot, the satellites are assumes to still be up there. Of course, none if this is ever mentioned again.* The [[Series/KamenRiderFourze M-BUS]] is capable of acting as one, though it mostly serves as a Transform Sat instead.* Parodied by ''The ColbertReport'' when Colbert responds to North Korea's bizarre video about a man dreaming about nuking the United States by falling asleep and dreaming about flying into space to blow up North Korea with a satellite-mounted laser. (The effect is mitigated by the obvious use of movie clips and the presence a man dancing around in a hot dog suit.)* Project Crossbow in ''{{Series/Nikita}}'', a defunct Strategic Defense Initiative satellite that couldn't hit a moving target, but does really well against large, planet-based targets...like nuclear power plants. [[spoiler:Except it doesn't. In a subversion, it turns out that the whole thing is a hoax cooked up by a villain with mooks willing to conduct suicide bombings of the targeted reactors.]][[/folder]]

[[folder:ReligionAndMythology]]* There is a Kill Sat greater than all others on this page and His name is the '''[[Literature/TheBible LORD]]'''. ** Although He deals out punishment from Heaven several times throughout the Bible, special points go to the story of Elijah. The prophet is sitting on a hill when a captain leading fifty soldiers approaches and calls out, "Man of God, the king orders you to come down." Elijah responds, "If I am a man of God, may fire from heaven [[KillItWithFire consume you and you fifty men]]." A second captain leading fifty men suffers the same fate, and the third one appears begging for his life. An angel tells Elijah that this one is safe to go with.* Basically what happens when you piss off a [[ThePowerOfTheSun solar deity]]. [[ClassicalMythology Helios]], for instance, is begged to by Gaia to throw a burning "red" ray to melt off Zeus' snow and ice off [[EldritchAbomination Typhon]] in Nonnus, Dionysiaca 2. 543 ff. [[EgyptianMythology Ra's Eye]], usually a goddess like Sekhmet or Isis, acts as this every night to kill of his enemy Apep... and punish whoever is unlawful.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]* In ''TabletopGame/ConspiracyX'', the secret organization "[[SovietSuperscience Project Rasputin]]" has a ''psychic'' Kill Sat. It's a gigantic amplifier for a crew of psychic characters, letting them use their powers on anything from one building to several square kilometers. In that area it can do things like read minds, alter memories, or yes, kill people.** More directly, NASA also had "Gun Stars" that would fire hockey-puck sized chunks of metal really fast at ground targets.* In the ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'', the Technocracy had secret orbital satellites for spying, defense against alien incursions, you name it (as well as various research stations on Luna and some moons of Jupiter and at Lagrange points throughout the solar system, a defense parameter around Earth and Moon, a Dyson Sphere in Deep Space...). As revealed in the supplement ''Time of Thin Blood'', when an ancient vampire arose from slumber in India during the End Times and laid waste to Bangladesh the Technocracy executed "Code Ragnarök"; they finally managed to destroy the vampire by first stunning him with fusion bombs and then incinerating him with the help of a network of mirror satellites and a concentrated ray of sunlight from heaven.* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', Exterminatus is the command used by the Inquisition when demons or heresy spread too far across the planet to be contained by covert or even overt military action. All possible (or at least important) Imperial forces pull out, and the orbiting fleet blows the hell out of the planet in any of a wide variety of ways, ranging from glassing the surface with hundreds of multi-gigaton warheads and ship-based beam weapons, to bombs filled with viruses that turn all organic matter into sludge, and "cyclonic torpedoes" that ''[[AtmosphereAbuse light the atmosphere on fire]]'' in a rather ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}''-esque way. All of these methods aim for one thing: rendering life on the planet impossible.** Even when you don't need to destroy the entire planet, the various factions aren't above shelling the battlefield from orbit.** There is a giant defense system in Terra's solar system meant to defend it against enemy fleets thousands strong. It includes Kill Sats, moons that were hollowed out and made into bases, and a whole space fleet to name a few items.** This being ''Warhammer 40k'', sometimes setting the atmosphere on fire, rendering organic matter into its constituent molecules or just plain old turning everything into molten slag just is not enough.. for this, there are two stage torpedoes which will actually [[EarthShatteringKaboom blow a planet up]].** Lampshaded in the Ciaphis Cain novels, with Cain admitting that occasionally a planet is too far gone even for bombardment, as it won't work and merely "gives them ideas".* In ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'', "Thor shots" are Kill Sats that fire space junk at the target. It has similar power to a nuclear device and is treated as such. Orbital lasers also exist, and one was used on the dragon Alamais. He survived.* The Fist of Shiva from the ''TabletopGame/FengShui'' supplement "Seed of the New Flesh" is a Buro [[WeatherControlMachine weather control satellite]] that doubles as a Kill Sat. In the adventure that features it, the players have to forge an alliance between all the other factions in order to commandeer a space shuttle, take over the Fist of Shiva, and use it to destroy the Buro-controlled 2056-era Vatican in order to wipe out not only a powerful Buro feng shui site, but also to stop the Buro from using their new Transworld Maglev Network to make the site the most powerful in the world and warping the world's chi to an unimaginable degree.* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has a spell called "Apocalypse from the Sky". No points for guessing what it does, considering it's not summoning kitties.** Also, in 4e Warlocks with a Starpact learn an spell that calls down an ice beam from the stars. Sustaining it drains the Warlock's life but continually ramps up the power. With Actions and a paladin sustaining him a Warlock could do several dozen D10's of damage over the course of the spell.* In the TabletopGame/D20Modern Urban Arcana setting, the Swiss Juncture of Gnome (a bunch of gnomes dropped in Switzerland using their "out of the box" though process to form their technical consulting company) made plans for a kill sat, that [[AwesomeYetImpractical was never built because of cost concerns]].* In the post-apocalyptic world of ''EclipsePhase'', the Earth has been ravaged by nuclear weaponry, bio- and nanovirii, and rampaging TITAN technology. The planet is under interdiction by a number of Kill Sats - they shoot down anything attempting to reach or leave the surface. Who put them there? Nobody's quite sure...* In ''HeavyGear'', there's even a new term to describe kill sats - ortillery, a portmanteau of orbital artillery.* In ''GeniusTheTransgression'', "Orbital Gun" is a modification one can make to Katastrofi Wonders. It allows the Wonder in question to deal out hellish amounts of damage, but makes it difficult to successfully hit any target smaller than an Navy destroyer. For added fun, you can also pour in some extra training and a crapton of Mania, and get the mother of all {{Healing Shiv}}s in orbital laser form.* For reasons that aren't entirely clear a lot of White cards do this in MagicTheGathering. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Smite%20the%20Monstrous Smite the Monstrous]] is a apparently a mystical laser that is fired by the moon of Innistrad.* In ''NuclearWar'', the Killer Satellite card is used to deter/destroy Space Platforms.** It can also shoot down the Space Shuttle, IIRC.* In ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' many people believe that Earth is surrounded by Kill Sats put into orbit by the nations before the Great Cataclysm, which is why nothing can be launched into space without being destroyed. They're partially right. In reality, [[ButWhatAboutTheAstronauts survivors from Earth's space stations and Moon colony]] maintain and deploy new Kill Sats deliberately to keep the Earth under quarantine.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]* ''VideoGame/EndOfNations'' has the [[AntiHero Shadow Revolution]] use these.* A miniature variant (Romanov Attack Satellite) appears as a regular enemy in ''VideoGame/HeavyWeapon''. It will fire a death ray downwards, which will [[OneHitKill instantly fry your tank if it hits]], regardless of your shielding. To avoid such a fate, you have to shoot at it to push it away from you. It's also the game's signature enemy.* In ''VideoGame/DungeonFighterOnline'', the Wrecking Ball class' ultimate attack is a satellite beam.* Since the protagonist in ''VideoGame/InFamous'' has attacks that mimic StandardFPSGuns, one these attacks is this in the form of lightning.* In ''VideoGame/PhantomDust'', this is one of the many psychic powers you can obtain. Where exactly the laser comes from is never explained.* In ''VideoGame/PlanetAlcatraz'', each of the [[PenalColony prison planets]] has an "Orbital security and surveillance complex" hovering in orbit. It is equipped for presicion strikes again targets on the ground, on the air or in space. Your mission is to locate the space shuttle in construction, so that it can be destroyed with an orbital strike. Also, if you spill details about your mission to an NPC in Northern City, you get to see an orbital strike killing your team and everyone in the area, resulting in a Non-Standard Game Over.* ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars]] Dual Strike'' features a Kill Sat called the Black Onyx on the level ''Crystal Calamity''. Its primary purpose is to create a barrier around [[TheDragon Kindle's]] main source of power -- a large crystal that turns the land into desert while creating energy. The Black Onyx also features a potent laser beam.** Spin-off ''VideoGame/BattalionWars'' features a good guy version -- the Doomsday Weapon used by the Solar Empire to put an end to the Iron Legion in the game's backstory.* [[spoiler: Belcrant]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' [[spoiler: It was used to fire on the earth to absorb pieces of it to create the Aethersphere]]* In what is one of the (probably) few ''unintentional'' uses of a Kill Sat, the game ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' makes mention of a [[SingleBiomePlanet winter world]] attempting to use a vast array of orbital mirrors to gradually thaw out the world, or at least the settled parts of it. Evidently, someone didn't carry the one, because the in-game article basically states that it focused the refracted light into a single coherent beam and described the results as being akin to a superlaser bombardment on the colony.* ''VideoGame/MagicRampage'': The green lightning bolts in Dungeon 15 and 16 are like this.* In ''VideoGame/{{Warzone 2100}}'', the main antagonist ([[AIIsACrapshoot a self-aware computer virus called NEXUS]]) eventually powers up his laser satellites against the player during the final mission as at this point all of his systems are now back online.** Just before TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, the North American Strategic Defense Agency also had access to satellites stuffed with thermonuclear missiles, which NEXUS, of course, used to nuke most of humanity all the way to the afterlife.* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has two. One was the "Bahamut ZERO" summon (though it was less a satellite and more a giant dragon blasting the enemy from orbit), and the other was one of Barret's level three limit breaks called "Satellite Beam", which does exactly what the name suggests (even underground).** ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' had Bahamut Fury turn ''the Moon'' into a Kill Sat.** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' has another summons that seems to do much the same thing, Ark, complete with mystical targeting electronics readouts.** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' has yet another in the form of the Holy summon Ultima, who fires a beam from space via a cannon mounted below herself from space, as a finishing move.** Ultima did it again in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance''. However, this version only did [[ManaDrain MP damage]]. Watching a gigantic lance of energy smash into the enemy from above with an explosion of magical force, only to see nobody at all physically harmed, let alone reduced to a pair of smouldering boots... a case could be made for {{subversion}}, there.** ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Duodecim]]'' gives access to one of these to [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Laguna]] as one of his HP attacks.* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'' has it's 2 Dragon protagonist and antagonist, Ryu and [[spoiler: Fou-Lu]] have their ultimate dragon forms, Kaiser and Tyrant respectively. The method of attack is eerily similar to the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' Bahamut Zero example above, they both transform, fly high into space, and then Tyrant blasts the entire battlefield with a massive dark ball of power, while Kaiser beam spams the area.* In ''VideoGame/NinjaBlade'', the UN's backup plan in case [[TheHero Ken]] fails to eradicate [[TheVirus the Alpha Worms]] from Tokyo is to fire an orbital death laser at Japan.* Looking for a DeathFromAbove superweapon? Play as the good guys and beat the baddies with [[RuleOfCool style]] ''and'' [[GoodWeaponEvilWeapon moral]] in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', with three different flavors!** The GDI Ion Cannon in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberium Tiberium]]'' is a by-the-book kind -- used ''and'' abused against the Brotherhood of Nod. It has a humble start killing small targets but [[TookALevelInBadass eventually moves]] to levelling military bases. As of ''Tiberian Twilight'', it even has adjustable power settings, and there are even some [[PoweredArmor foot-soldiers]] that can call down a strike (first seen in ''Renegade''). Compare this to Nod's [[NuclearWeaponsTaboo excessive use]] of [[SlapOnTheWristNuke tactical nukes]].*** In the ''Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath'' expansion, GDI have an additional orbital attack protocol: Thor's Hammer orbital attack satellites that fire Mjölnir rods at the surface, decimating Kane's little armor divisions with impunity.*** The [[StarfishAliens Scrin]], having a bunch of support starships beyond Neptune's Orbit, ''as well as'' [[OurWormholesAreDifferent wormhole capabilities]], can deploy a Tiberium-laced ''asteroid'' against ground targets, as well as call down a Tiberium-seeding beam from orbit. None of these are superweapon-grade, however.** The American Particle Cannon orbital reflectors in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals Generals]]'' is a less verbatim kind. Technically, they're not even real Kill Sats -- they're actually part of a bigger [[PillarOfLight beam]] [[WaveMotionGun cannon]] system, and their job is [[ReflectingLaser to reflect beams fired from a Particle Cannon on the ground to another spot on the ground]]. And what do the other two sides get? [[SlapOnTheWristNuke Tactical nukes]] and [[PoisonedWeapons anthrax SCUD barrages]], respectively.** The Allied Athena Cannon in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert Red Alert 3]]'', in the form of a truck-mounted LaserSight and comms boom paired with a Kill Sat up in orbit -- also less verbatim. Oddly, though, each truck purchased gives you control of a different satellite, [[FridgeLogic leading some players to wonder why, if they have all these satellites up there, they can't just use them]] ''[[FridgeLogic all at once]]''. However, given that the Allies are clearly obsessed with data security ("clearance" must be purchased in order to deploy more advanced weapons), [[FridgeBrilliance it does make a kind of sense]] for them not to give you too many at once.** The [[RedsWithRockets Soviet Union]] also uses a ''sort'' of Kill Sat in the form of the Magnetic Satellite, which is capable of sucking any vehicle up into space. This, coupled with their Krasna-45 Orbital Drop protocol enables them to not only ''[[ColonyDrop de-orbit space stations]]'' at you, but also send back the ''same vehicles'' they've previously captured.* ''NeverwinterNights'' of all things added one in the second Expansion Pack with the Epic Spell "Greater Ruin" (though no mention is made of a "Ruin" spell) that includes a beam of earth-shaking golden light striking from above, then tracking across the ground onto target.** There is also the "Hammer of the Gods" spell, which causes a large yellow column of holy light to strike the target. "Greater Ruin" also causes holy energy damage. It is likely an upgraded version of "Hammer of the Gods".* ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament 2k3'' and ''2k4'' have the Ion Cannon, which deals lots of damage in a wide radius.* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' - The Hammer of Dawn, controlled by the good guys, and somewhat more limited than usual for this trope as it requires a grunt on the ground to 'paint' the target using a handheld laser gun from close range; getting into a position it can reach while it's overhead plays a part in the stages where it's used.** The Kill Sat only works in certain weather conditions -- it's how they explain it only being used occasionally. The Government in ''Gears'' deliberately Kill Satted most of the planet to stem the Locust invasion, which is the major reason for all the SceneryGorn.* Ragnarok in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 4'' was built for BigBad Dr. Weil to use as a Kill Sat. [[spoiler:After Craft does a HeelFaceTurn and wrecks the control room, Dr. Weil then uses it for a ColonyDrop. Zero [[HeroicSacrifice destroys the satellite, with himself still in it]]]].** ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'', the Final Weapon satellite was such a Kill Sat that Sigma was trying to use to destroy the Earth.** Zero's Tenshouha and Optic Sunflower's 'Earth Crush' presumably come from the same satellite.* [=SearchMan=].exe can summmon a small one as his most damaging attack in the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' series. Unfortunately for him, it's also the easiest of his attacks to avoid, as it'll only fire if [[CrosshairAware its targeting cursor]] touches you, and even if it does, it can still be sidestepped.* Another Rare hero example is in ''[[VideoGame/MetalSaga Metal Max Returns]]'' the only problem is activating the program that allows you to trigger it using your [[ShoutOut BS Controller]]* In the GBA version of ''VideoGame/ShiningForce'', the hero gains a spell called "Supernova", which the flavor text implies is a Kill Sat beam. In fact, all magic in the continent is described as being [[{{Magitek}} provided by a satellite]].* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''** Eggman's Death Egg, featured in many games and being central to what fans call the [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Death]] [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Egg saga]]. It showed its true power in ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'', where it destroyed a star.** In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', the bad guys take control of the Space Colony ARK and threaten to use the planet-piercing Eclipse Cannon on the populace, demonstrating its power by using it to destroy half of the moon. Fortunately, the heroes managed to short-circuit the system in time to prevent the planet's destruction (what [[ColonyDrop happened afterwards]] is a different story).** ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' saw the Eclipse Cannon used once again as part of the Final Story.*** ''Shadow the Hedgehog'' also featured a "Satellite Laser" weapon as one of several rewards for beating the game; this was a targeting beam for what was presumably an orbital laser satellite. There's a significant delay before firing, during which the target often moves away, which is probably why the laser doesn't see more use by the heroes.** ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' -- The Chaos Energy Cannon. After draining [[SuperMode Super Sonic]]'s Chaos Energy, it was used by Eggman to break the planet open and [[SealedEvilInACan release Dark Gaia from within]].* The heroes in ''[[VideoGame/TimeCrisis Time Crisis II]]'' are fighting to foil a plot to launch a nuclear equipped military satellite. A prototype copy of the satellite features as the [[BossFight final boss]], and is equipped with rockets, a laser and a guy in glasses perching on top with a pistol.* The Satellite Rain weapon in ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}} Wars'' drops a [[AllThereInTheManual tungsten-uranium alloy rod]] which melts into ten "raindrops", each a couple of seconds apart. While it ''can'' level buildings, so does a regular land mine. Just not with half the style.* The ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'' series has the Justice cannon, a space-based laser cannon which, to this writer's knowledge, fired once, charring the surface of Earth and forcing humanity underground and to Mars in order to survive. Later, someone attempts to fire it again, and the player must take the fight down the barrel of the cannon to stop it from annihilating the planet.** This fight, by the way, is between robots that are at least fifty, and probably closer to one hundred feet tall. And they fight down the barrel of a space gun that takes a full three seconds of flight to reach the top of. That is a ''[[{{BFG}} big f**king gun]].''** In ''Armored Core: Silent Line'', a Kill Sat takes out anything that crosses the titular boundary. In ''Armored Core: For Answer'', its revealed that there are ''so goddamn many'' of these cannons in Earth Orbit that its become ''impossible to reach space''.* ''VideoGame/AnotherCenturysEpisode 2'', a spinoff of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', has the Guardian System controlled by the mysterious red [[HumongousMecha Buster Ark]] which shows up to periodically harass the heroes. They occasionally wonder [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim why the pilot doesn't just vaporize their battleship]], but eventually you learn [[spoiler:that the pilot is [[TheHero Tak]]'s partner[=/=]LoveInterest Marina, who [[FakingTheDead faked her death]] at the start of the game. The Guardian System was designed to prevent an alien invasion (here, the Zentraedi from ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross''), but it [[CastFromHitPoints runs off the pilot's lifeforce]] and the energy required to defeat the Zentraedi fleet would be fatal. Tak eventually unlocks the Guardian control program in his own mecha and convinces Marina that they should fight the invasion together so nobody has to die, which prompts her HeelFaceTurn back to the good guys and their [[EarnYourHappyEnding eventual happy ending]].]]** As an added bonus linked to the storyline aspect of the Guardian, it actually does cause damage to the Gunark and Buster Ark when used, making these two the only mecha in the game capable of destroying themselves.* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'': In ''2nd Original Generations'', one of the optional weapons is this.* The Space Marine Force Commander's special ability in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' allows him to call in supporting fire from his Battle Barge in orbit. In ''Dark Crusade'' onward, the Tau Ethereal can also call down an Orbital Bombardment.** ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: VideoGame/DawnOfWar: Soulstorm'' has the Tau turn a natural satellite into a Kill Sat. As in, they built a cannon capable of firing across the system's interplanetary distances on a moon. (Flee not, spoilerphobes! This is told to you in the very first campaign cinematic!)** In ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar 2'', the Orbital Bombardment ability for Space Marine players is essentially three lasers hitting the area of your target. Devastating to anything that gets hit.* The last few missions of the first ''VideoGame/{{Crusader}}'' game involve striking at an orbital defense platform which controls a network of nuclear-armed satellites.* ''VideoGame/DinoCrisis2'' has one of the protagonists activating a satellite to vaporize a gigantic dinosaur.* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha3'' had this as one use of the Psycho Drive, apparently. Also, Karin Kanzuki's ending has her calling in a family favour and using their own Kill Sat to blow up the Shadaloo base.* The ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' games had a fair few summons that did this -- and, being summons, they could naturally target anywhere you happened to be battling, even inside caves or buildings -- but only Eclipse (a dragon) and Isis were in space at the time.* In ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'', the Snatchers' final stronghold is destroyed by one of these in the game's climax.** It took out [[spoiler: Random]] too. Painfully, a commenter on Slowbeef's LetsPlay of the game said, "Oh, as if [[spoiler: Random]] [[FunnyAneurysmMoment could be taken out by anything shy of orbital bombardment]]." Ow.* As a affectionate parody of Bond villains, it shouldn't be too surprising that your goal in ''VideoGame/EvilGenius'' is to launch one of three Kill Sats to blackmail world leaders into total surrender. It works.* In the RTS ''Creator/TomClancy's VideoGame/EndWar'', both the American Joint Strike Force and the European Enforcers Corps have access to Kill Sat technology. The latter have your usual laser satellite tech, while the former have kinetic impactors, aka "Rods from God."* In ''StarWars: VideoGame/JediStarfighter'', one of the protagonists gains access to a giant space laser (actually designed to be fired from the ground at orbiting capital ships, like the ion cannon on Hoth), described by some as a "mini-Death Star" which can be targeted to vaporize, well, just about anything.* The {{BFG}} of ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked'' is the Harbinger, which scatters targets all over the battlefield, which are then quickly followed by beams of light blasting those spots.** The Deplanetizer from [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank the original game]].* The RailShooter ''Confidential Mission'' revolved around recovering control of a laser satellite from the BigBad. Which you do. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard And then you fire it at his escape submarine.]]* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}: Call to Power'' was a Civilization-style game that included the ability to build space-based weapons and cities. One of these weapons was, for all intents and purposes, a high-powered Kill Sat that could hit anything on the ground with near impunity. It's a shame that the game was never completely debugged....* Top-down {{shmup}} ''[[VideoGame/AeroFighters Sonic Wings]]'' features a barrage of orbital lasers presumably from satellites as the special weapon of one of the playable characters. Video games seem to like to give these to good guys and bad in equal measure.* In the anime-style fighting game ''VideoGame/EvilZone'', ''Franchise/MetalHeroes'' parody Danzaiver's LimitBreak has him calling upon a Kill Sat to strike at his enemy from orbit, complete with cutaway to the satellite itself. [[SlapOnTheWristNuke It's not as painful as it sounds.]] It should be noted, however, that this technique is actually a ''grappling maneuver'', which takes the concept to an unforeseen level of ridiculous.* ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve2'' contains a Kill Sat that fires what seem to be kinetic projectiles down [[NukeEm on the entire main setting, acting as a last resort when containment looks unlikely.]]** VideoGame/The3rdBirthday features another one, although scaled down, that you get to use several times.* The GULF satellite in ''Win Back''.* In Jack's ending in ''[[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Tekken 2]]'', he is destroyed by a Kill Sat in front of young Jane. In his ''[[{{Tekken}} Tekken 3]]'' ending, he is carrying adult Jane on his shoulder, when Dr. Abel tries to do the same thing, but he protects her and himself with a BeehiveBarrier.* In ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'', Nohime has this as her LimitBreak, summoning the Oda Mon as beacons with pillars of lights coming from the sky.* The expansion pack for ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'' gives these to the UEF. They aren't particularly powerful, but given enough resources, you can use a group of them to pick off enemies with impunity.** As a nice touch, if the control station is destroyed, the satellite de-orbits. Straight down at whatever it was targeting. With all the ready-to-explode mass and energy of any experimental. [[OhCrap Did we mention wreckage ignores shields?]]* In ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'', BARAM turns Mars' moon, Deimos, into a Kill Sat based on the Urenbeck Catapult, a form of space-compression power slingshot. [[spoiler:'Course, then it turns out the real use is to ''not'' fire it, and let the overload blow a hole in space/time three times the size of the solar system.]]* ''VideoGame/{{Gunbound}}'' has two. First, the mobile E. Sate has a Kill Sat as its normal attack, though it doesn't as much fly through space as hover above it's head. However, there's the giant Kill Sat named Thor that hovers above the stage, adding damage to attacks on certain turns, and becoming stronger as it deals more damage. The two of them together is a sight to see.** Then there's the Aduka, whose secondary weapon is specifically designed to call down the Thor. A 4v4 match where ''everyone'' is piloting an Aduka... things aren't so bad in the beginning, but the pain ''really'' starts once Thor hits 3 or 4.* The first [[LimitBreak Support Character]] you earn in ''PennyArcadeAdventures: [[LongTitle On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness]]: [[ColonCancer Episode 2]]'' is a 14-year old girl. With a steampunk Kill Sat.* LARS from the car combat game ''[[VideoGame/{{Interstate 76}} Interstate '82]]'' which is possibly the first video game weapon that's more effective in the hands of the player than the AI.* ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters 2000]]'' has the Zero Cannon, a Kill Sat created by the NESTS group, powered by fight energy, but stolen by the renegade Clone Zero, who desires to use it against them. While it fails to destroy NESTS, it does succeed in nuking Southtown. Its later destroyed by Kula Diamond.* Reversed in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', where human planets are defended by UNSC Orbital Defense Platforms, Orbital "Super [=MACs=]" ([[MagneticWeapons Magnetic Accelerator Cannons]]) that fire [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale 3000-ton slugs at up to 4% the speed of light]] at incoming enemy warships. Smaller MAC weapons are mounted on every UNSC warship, and can be turned to fire planetside in a tick.** That system is talked about in the ''Halo 2'' announcement trailer, where there is a debate between a general on the ground wanting those platforms to be used as Kill Sats against the already-landed invasion forces, and the admiral in orbit trying to hold off the Covenant fleet:-->"I'm asking you to re-target the orbitals!"\\"And let '''more''' of them sweep the kill zone? That's insanity! There's nothing more I can do!"** In ''VideoGame/HaloWars'', the smaller [[WaveMotionGun MAC Gun]] of the CoolShip ''Spirit of Fire'' can be used as a more conventional, if ad hoc, Kill Sat. On the other hand, Covenant ground forces can call upon their own ships in orbit to deliver plasma bombardment or 'glassing' on their enemy.** ''VideoGame/HaloReach'': A MAC strike destroys a Covenant ship this way - then the Covenant [[FromBadToWorse bring the whole fleet]].*** "MAC Rounds? In Atmosphere!?"*** After the Grafton destroys the Spire, it gets kill-satted by the Long Night of Solace.** On a smaller scale, ''Reach'' has the Target Locator for calling down orbital bombardment strikes.* Several of the ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' games feature a weapon of this type.* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', in a seemingly desperate attempt to fit possibly every trope ever into one game, gave you a Kill Sat to fight one giant boss, that came with an "L.T.D."(short for Laser Targeting Device), which was effectively an empty bazooka with a laser attached to it, a la ''Gears of War'''s Hammer of Dawn. It takes a while to lock on, so it's good to have a friend stun the orbs you aiming at (which, by the way, are the giant orbs of a humongous version of [[spoiler: the Uroboros]] you fought four chapters ago). Of course, the recharge time is ridiculous, [[MostAnnoyingSound making a obnoxious sound when recharging]], and you can destroy the orbs you're aiming with bullets, but its great when you [[MostWonderfulSound hear the three quick beeps letting you know it stopped charging, and you can once again destroy whatever you lock on to.]]* The fourth boss in the SNES game ''VideoGame/TheNinjaWarriorsAgain'' wields a pimp cane that can direct an unseen Kill Sat to fire on your position.* In ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'', you get the "Uber Turret", a fast moving low-orbit satellite missile platform. It is an inversion in that instead of attacking ground targets (you deploy on your own colonies; not exactly the thing you'd want to blow), it is used to destroy (in a matter of seconds) squadrons of alien invaders that enter your planet's atmosphere.* There is such a weapon in the game ''Uprising''. And it is called Ksat. If only the SP enemy didn't use it....* If you built a Microwave power station in ''Videogame/SimCity 2000'', it could occasionally "miss" and rain Kill Sat-like destruction on your helpless citizens.* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', Azeroth has 4 Kill Sats in orbit, used by the [[{{Precursors}} Titans]] as orbital defense weapons and named after the Keepers of Ulduar.** The final quest in the current starting area for gnomes suggest the gnomes have some themselves.* In ''VideoGame/RazingStorm'', your allies have one, aimed by firing a laser cannon at the target to transmit its location to the satellite. It's used in Stage 3 to destroy the BigBad and his headquarters, as well as to finish off the GiantSpider [[SpiderTank Tank]] boss.* The scrapped ''VideoGame/FalloutVanBuren'' project revolved around the B.O.M.B., one of two nuke-throwing death stations, still in orbit after 200 years, and still with its payload intact.** Bethesda's ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' has a ShoutOut to the above with "Highwater Trousers" orbital platform. Broken Steel has the Enclave dust off the Bradley-Hercules satellite weapon, which you can use against either their own base [[MoralEventHorizon or the Brotherhood of Steel Citadel]]. Then there is Mothership Zeta and its WaveMotionGun...*** And the player finally gets one of their own in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', in the form of the Archimedes II solar death ray. Complete with a LethalJokeItem for a target designator. Prior to that, you can fire the Archimedes I on the NCR's own Helios 1 plant, [[MoralEventHorizon earning you infamy to them]].* ''[[VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} Battlefield 2142]]'' has Orbital and EMP strikes.* ''[[VideoGame/{{Machines}} Machines: Wired For War]]'' has a ion cannon that can wipe out almost anything in its (small) blast radius and set fire to anything just out side it. Taking over an enemy base can gain access to their ion cannon.* ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat Ace Combat 3]]'' has the OSL (Orbital Satellite Laser) unlockable weapon, which [[GameBreaker only requires a radar lock and the push of a button to annihilate any target in one hit, is available for all aircraft, and has plenty of "ammo" too]].** ''Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War'' has the SOLG (Strategic Orbital Linear Gun), a satellite-based railgun capable of firing MIRV-type nuclear warheads and wiping out half the major cities in the game's two main countries, not to mention it's programmed to crash down into Earth if control from the surface is cut off. There's also the Arkbird, which is actually a huge spaceship rather than a satellite, but can still kick some ass down there when equipped with a laser system.** The Belkan laser-based superweapon Excalibur in ''Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War'', while not a satellite, can still use mirror-like structures in orbit in order to increase its effective range and change its angle of attack.* In ''VideoGame/TargetTerror'', the player can acquire a one-use "SmartBomb" by firing at a miniature Kill Sat that quickly scrolls across the screen at regular intervals. When used, a {{cutscene}} shows a satellite charging and firing into the earth, immediately killing all hostile targets with individual lasers while leaving friendly {{NPC}}s unharmed, even indoors.* The 8-bit game ''Dark Side'' takes place on a moon where terrorists have built a superweapon. It continuously collects energy from the Sun; guess [[EarthShatteringKaboom what will happen]] if you fail to disable it.* Captain Vladimir, Rank 3 in ''NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'', has a radio uplink to an old Soviet kill-sat. It has two functions: a rain of smaller beams that deal good damage, and the "big beam". The big one's a OneHitKill.* In ''[[VideoGame/ExtremeG XGRA]]'', you can use the Death Strike for a OneHitKill. It's an orbital laser ''operated by the sponsors''.* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' has the magical satellite ''Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take Mikazuchi'', complete with digital monster in a coffin that shoots the beam. It has a four-year "cooldown" period, and the firing sequence is breathtaking to behold.** Ruins of Japan: The shot from Take-Mikazuchi was the finishing blow to [[EldritchAbomination the Black Beast]].** Ibukido: The entire city was annihilated. [[spoiler:In one timeline, only Number 12 (aka Noel) survived.]]** Kagutsuchi: "[[DeflectorShields Activating Tsukuyomi Unit.]]"** ''Chronophantasma'': [[spoiler:The true BigBad pulls it down to earth and repowers it to serve as the TrueFinalBoss.]]* ''VideoGame/XMenLegends'' gives you super moves for each character. Beast's is "Orbital Bombardment", wherein he magicks a holographic computer from nowhere, presses some buttons and multiple lasers rain down and wipe out all onscreen enemies.** Mr. Fantastic gets the same ultimate attack in ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance''.* ''VideoGame/ArTonelico2'' features Replekia, which is powered by a CombinedEnergyAttack and amplifies your magic. It's [[GameBreaker rather]] [[NoKillLikeOverkill effective]].** Several spells in the series also do this.* ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]'' of all games has this, while fighting [[spoiler: the Japanese boss]], and you have to dodge it constantly. Sadly for this boss, he's not FriendlyFireProof.-->'''[[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]]:''' There is one particularly sharp-witted boss who attacks you with a satellite missile system ''while standing on the same narrow rooftop''. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Didn't even need to shoot the bastard.]] [[SelfDisposingVillain It was practically assisted suicide]].* ''[[VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy Epic Battle Fantasy 2]]'' gives ''you'' one of these after you reach the first checkpoint. [[OhCrap The final boss has the ability to do this, as well.]]** It appears in the third game as well - though instead of a summon for Natalie, it's a LimitBreak for Lance. And it's safer to use. And then in the fourth one, one of the bosses hacks it to use it on ''you'', though you can use it as well if you find the right chest.* In ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'', [[spoiler: the alternate form of Trypticon is one]].* In ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', [[spoiler:Balder]] owns one of these and will try to use it during [[spoiler:his]] [[BossFight boss battle]].** Note that it apparently has a two shot limit, after the second time, if you don't finish him off before the third, he just [[ColonyDrop yanks it out of orbit]].* ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'' actually has the "Orbital Cannon" power available for player characters (and some NPC's) to use. Normally a single, vehicle-sized blast, one optional advantage allows it to fire continuously - and select new targets on its own (always an enemy)as it does so.* The plot in ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'' is kicked off when Russians hijack the orbital colony of Providence and use its microwave emitter on San Francisco. Its effects are [[{{Gorn}} very graphically]] shown, with [[PopGoesTheHuman exploding bodies]] [[YourHeadAsplode and heads]], and full-body burns.* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic''. Imperial Agents have the Orbital Strike skill, calling in a strike from some of the Imperial ships orbiting the planet.* The most destructive spell in ''VideoGame/BlackAndWhite'' is called Mega-blast, in his basic form consist in one powerful beam of turning a building into scraps and in his most powerful form consist in many powerful beams capable of turning an entire village into scraps.** In the sequel, activating a Wonder initially manifests as a beam from the sky, quickly followed by anything from a localized hurricane to a ''volcanic eruption'' at ground zero.* ''VideoGame/LastAlert'' had the player as a mercenary out to stop a MadScientist from [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]] with one of these.* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' features a few examples at higher levels - the powerful War Walkers have access to an Orbital Cannon, while MadScientist Anti-Matter can launch an Obliteration Beam from his space station which not only deals massive damage but also holds players helplessly in the beam.* ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld 3'' has [[spoiler:Gunslinger]], the location [[spoiler:and last boss, sort of]], of the final boss battle for the main part of the game. It's infested with powerful Digimon and at the end [[spoiler:Snatchmon merges itself with its master and then with the station itself]]. Then it plans to merge with [[spoiler:Earth to make the most powerful Digimon EVER to have existed]].* ''VideoGame/{{Crusader}}: No Remorse'' last mission consists in the player destroying an enemy space station (with a kill sat goal) before it becomes fully operational.* ''VideoGame/WarWind'''s human scientist faction can build armed satellites.* The EA version of ''TabletopGame/{{Battleship}}'' for [=iOS=] has a one-shot satellite-based superweapon that can devastate a fairly-large area of the game grid. Naturally, it ends up being TooAwesomeToUse.* One of the oldest examples of this trope in video games was ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'''s Megiddo Arc - a massive superlaser designed to all but eradicate humanity's last strongholds. The guy who had it constructed? [[GodIsEvil YHVH]]. ''And he's intent on using it - even against cities explicitly confirmed to be aligned with Him''.* Predating even that is the ''VideoGame/MissileCommand''-inspired ''Ashes to Ashes'' from the early {{Macintosh}} days, which had a satellite-based ion cannon as one of the three weapons in the player's defensive arsenal. It strikes the target area instantly and has unlimited uses, but has a 2 second cool-down delay and a smaller blast radius than ground-based missiles. Still, skilled players can survive for quite a while after exhausting their other weapons.* The ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]]'' series features lasertowers and orbital defense stations, which operate like ''Halo's'' [=Super MACs=] in that they're defensive in nature, blowing hostile ships out of the sky. In ''X3: Terran Conflict'' the lasertower is a UselessUsefulSpell since out-of-sector combat mechanics[[note]]used when the player is in another sector[[/note]] negate its main advantage over its targets (superior range). Even in-sector, it can take dozens to bring down a capital ship. Lasertowers got a major buff in ''Albion Prelude'', making them effective defenses. The Torus Aeternal, a [[RingworldPlanet Ringworld-esque]] [[BigDumbObject megastructure]] that wraps around Earth, is a defensive killsat - it has enough weaponry to OneHitKill ''any'' ship that deviates from their assigned docking path. The Torus was such a powerful piece of Terran infrastructure that the [[LostColony Argon Federation]] resort to sabotaging it via [[DesignatedHero suicide-bombing]] in order to invade the Solar System in ''X3: Albion Prelude''* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', the ''Dawnguard'' expansion features Auriel's bow, a weapon forged by a God. Whenever this weapon is used to fire Sun-Hallowed Elven Arrows directly at the Sun, cue the magical equivalent of a powerful Kill Sat being unleashed onto nearby enemies.* In ''VideoGame/StarControl'' II, this is how the Ur-Quan appears to enslave alien races. Once an alien civilization's starfleet is destroyed, they will send ships into near-orbit as Kill-Sats over the major capitals of their homeworld and threaten death unless they surrender. Except...they still destroy some capitals as a message. As the Earth commander states: "you won't find Buenos Aires" on any new maps...* In ''VideoGame/PlaystationAllStarsBattleRoyale'', [[VideoGame/ApeEscape Spike]]'s Level 3 [[LimitBreak super move]] involves the use of one of these to wipe out every player on screen.* The ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' series knows [[OrbitalBombardment Low-Orbit]] [[AtmosphereAbuse Atmospheric Deprivation Weapons]] - as war crimes to use, possibly even build. Firing one burns up the target planet's atmosphere, infrastructure and population.* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyGhosts'' takes place after the United States has been devastated by strikes from its own Kinetic Impactors ("Rods from God") after the space stations containing the weapons were hijacked by astronauts from a hostile nation.* ''VideoGame/VectorThrust'' boasts the EOS-02 MRSA satellite, which uses a scalar-based laser system to OneHitKill most, if not all objecs barring other superweapons. While each beam is small, there are [[BeamSpam a lot of satellites]].** The Blackstar UAV from the same game is functionally the same, except it's an upscaled Darkstar reconnaissance drone equipped with no less than three microwave lasers on its underbelly for shooting down enemy nuclear missiles before they reach orbit. Of course, nobody's stopping it from pointing these lasers at other things.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]* The graphic novel-esque flash series ''BrokenSaints'' features a fanatical CorruptCorporateExecutive who sets up a Kill Sat network [[spoiler: in order to broadcast a signal triggering his vision of Judgment Day.]] It also has the ability to lock on to anywhere on the planet and emit highly-focused [[ShockAndAwe EM pulses]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]* In ''Webcomic/{{Megatokyo}}'', the Tokyo Police Cataclysm Division used "a high-intensity satellite-based laser" to "neutralize" Ed and his plasma cannon, in [[http://www.megatokyo.com/strip/596 this strip]].* In ''Webcomic/RomanticallyApocalyptic'', [[spoiler:The Good Directorate]] possesses (possessed?) at least one of these.* A military Kill Sat was fired with great precision at just one person in [[http://antiheroforhire.com/d/20071012.html this strip]] of ''Webcomic/AntiheroForHire''.* In ''Webcomic/{{Drive}}'', it is revealed the Tesskans used some kind of Kill Sat on Berlin, Beijing, and New York City.* ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'', being a combination of ''SonicTheHedgehog'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', is ''named'' after the command that field agents of the Mobian Inquisition can use in times of imminent defeat or upon discovering a massive demon incursion to request a direct strike from an orbital weapons platform on their current position -- which means if they don't manage to get far away quickly enough, they too will go out with a bang. Note that this is a ''toned down'' version of the [=W40K=] Exterminatus...* In ''Webcomic/ExploitationNow'', the Bad Guy is [[DeathFromAbove incinerated by]] ''[[DeathFromAbove his own]]'' [[HoistByHisOwnPetard "defense" satellite]] after the heroine reprogrammed it to target the building he was in. (Actually they were ''both'' on the roof of said building.) [[http://www.exploitationnow.com/2002-08-12/298 1]], [[http://www.exploitationnow.com/2002-08-14/299 2]], [[http://www.exploitationnow.com/2002-08-17/301 3]]** Earlier on, the same character hijacked an old secret Soviet orbital weapons platform to nuke Canada.* The RPG-spoof ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'' has a laser-obsessed BigBad who loves nothing more than [[http://www.adventurers-comic.com/d/20030430.html using his orbital-based DeathRay to]] [[PricelessPaperweight toast bread and make sammiches.]]* The "Eyes in the Sky" from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance''. In the ghoul-infested world, these "Eyes" were used to [[DeathFromAbove rain destruction down upon attacking ghouls]].* Used in [[http://truckbearingkibble.com/comic/2007/07/27/the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-lasers-part-1-of-2/ This strip about Sound of Music robots]] from ''Truck Bearing Kibble''.* ''Webcomic/UserFriendly'' is also fond of this trope, in the form of "Crowbar Satellites", which... well, drop crowbars from orbit. When the User Friendly crew were visiting Antarctica, one of the techs living there used a satellite to drop a crowbar on the unfortunate Predator wandering around outside with a soldering iron stuck in his eye (it's a long story), exploding him quite satisfactorily. Pitr (resident evil-genius wannabe) eventually got his own Crowbar Satellite... at least until one of the other techs found the remote and mistook it for a handheld game, wasting all the ammo.* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Dracula is ''far'' too elegant to bother with something as blunt as an orbital satellite. He uses [[http://drmcninja.com/page.php?pageNum=15&issue=11 Moon]] [[http://drmcninja.com/page.php?pageNum=16&issue=11 Lasers]] instead.** Technically, the moon is a satellite.* ''NSTA'' revolves around the operations of the titular National Satellite Tracking Agency, which manages orbital satellites used for both techno-telepathic [[NinetyPercentOfYourBrain brain-borrowing]] computation and orbital laser strikes. The first strip to introduce the latter functionality involved precision brain surgery by thought-controlled orbital laser.* The Tower of Babel in ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'' is an odd variation in that the satellite is only a mirror designed to redirect the lasers fired from a very large, very [[FreudWasRight phallic looking]] tower. Apparently previous attempts at orbital weapons were either really large and easy to shoot down, or underpowered.* In ''Webcomic/SequentialArt'' Jack launched an orbital laser cannon and used it to destroy a couple buildings, then Art accidentally made it target the tank Jack was driving, and (intentionally) pinned him to it. Later OZBASIC attempted to upload into that satellite.* Gilgamesh Wulfenbach of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' made it look like he was directing a KillSat with a handheld scepter. [[spoiler:Subverted when the power source is six large crystals positioned around the city, which fried right before the enemy surrendered.]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]* The Wiki/SCPFoundation has [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-923 SCP-923]], a ''Memetic'' Kill Sat. It makes people AxCrazy, and the effect 'splashes' at higher settings. It reports a maximum output of 238, which gets converted to 'keter' intensity - and apparently causes effects that ''screw with reality itself''. More worryingly, using it causes wear (and results in lower-intensity settings slowly becoming unavailable). What ''really'' worries the Foundation, though, is [[spoiler: the fact that the Kill Sat says it was built to help protect a site that they never built.]]** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1514 SCP-1514]] is a whole network of xaser Kill Sats PoweredByAForsakenChild (and his mother)* {{Anonymous}} has a Low Orbit Ion Cannon (a program that helps with their DDOS attacks), [[http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/two-real-guns-pointed-at-me-how-the-fbi-raided-anonymous.ars which got them noticed by the FBI]] after they attacked sites that were boycotting [=WikiLeaks=].* In ToBoldlyFlee, BigBad the Executor has a Kill Sat that he uses [[spoiler: to (almost) kill ThatSciFiGuy. And plans to use it to destroy the Earth]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' included an unintentional satellite of doom. In an effort to defeat global warming, a scientist creates a giant mirror to reflect the sun's rays. When the giant mirror is knocked off course, it focuses a beam of sunlight on the Earth that incinerates everything in its path. EpicFail.** Later in the episode, the same scientist converted the same mirror into a more traditional Kill Sat at the request of the President of Earth, RichardNixon. The plan was to use it to destroy the Galapagos Islands, where Nixon had tricked all of Earth's robots into going with a massive party, when it was discovered that robots were the cause of global warming. ItMakesSenseInContext.* The second Watchtower in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' had one of these, which caused the heroes no end of grief when it got hijacked for [[SelfDemonstrating/LexLuthor villainous purposes]]. They eventually decided it was too much power for anyone to have and decommissioned the gun. It was called the "Binary Fusion Generator", which (while never spoken as such in the show) has a [[{{BFG}} convenient acronym]].** In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' {{OVA}} [[TheMovie movie]], ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker Return of the Joker]]'', the Joker manages to gain control of a Kill Sat. Terry is forced into a chase scene with the beam through downtown Gotham at one point. (The commentary notes that this is a ShoutOut to the ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' example from above.)** In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode ''Maid of Honor'', villain Vandal Savage takes control of a [[ColonyDrop mass driver equipped]] Kill Sat owned by the kingdom of his intended bride...and is promptly crushed (but not killed, thanks to his regenerative powers) by a shot from the weapon after his plans are foiled.* ''CodeLyoko'': XANA once [[EverythingIsOnline hacked into]] a laser satellite, apparently to try to vaporize Yumi... [[DesignatedVictim again]].** Make that "twice"; the Satellite shows up again in Season 4 episode "Hot Shower" to [[ColonyDrop divert an asteroid from its course]].* ''RockosModernLife'' episode "Teed Off" featured a satellite that launched ''[[PianoDrop grand pianos]]''.** In "Wacky Deli", [[CrankyNeighbor Ed Bighead]] proposes the use of a more conventional Kill Sat to vaporize Rocko and co. after their cartoon, the eponymous [[SoBadItsGood 'Wacky Deli']], makes executive producer and Ed's son, Ralph the target of constant [[{{Flashmob}} mobbing]] by [[FanGirl fans of the show]]. After Ralph says that he doesn't want to kill Rocko, Ed settles for [[GlobalWarning melting the polar ice caps]] instead.* In an episode of ''[[SuperFriends Galactic Guardians]]'', Darkseid tries to turn the peaceful Star City into a Kill Sat. When the heroes foil his plan, he is forced to settle for a ColonyDrop.* In the 1981 ''[[SpiderManAndHisAmazingFriends Spider-Man]]'' cartoon, Doctor Doom introduced us to a satellite-mounted laser -- the laser part of which was actually a holdover from [[StoryArc an earlier episode]] -- and used it to play with the Pacific Ring of Fire. As far as the "kill" part, [[spoiler:the satellite turns out to have a surprisingly localized effect when it gets knocked off course, burns a path to his castle and bodily [[HoistByHisOwnPetard vaporizes him]].]]* ''JohnnyBravo'' was once fried by one when he started hitting on a random nerd girl.* ''InvaderZim'' parodies this. When Dib discovers that Zim is weak against water, naturally a water fight ensues. This escalates until Zim builds a giant, orbital water balloon launcher.* In ''GIJoeResolute'' Cobra uses a kill sat to blow up [[ThrowAwayCountry Moscow]]. Successfully, [[DarkerAndEdgier in the first ten minutes of the first episode]].* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'' series, Dogbert causes some havoc with one of these.* RonaldReagan in ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'' tried to kill Ayatollah Khomeini with the StarWars satellite defense system. The first attempt failed and killed a random audience member instead, but the second attempt succeeded.* The ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'' episode "Queen's Lair" revolved around the Rangers' efforts to take out one of these before [[BigBad The Queen of the Crown]] took out Earth with it. This actually made for one of the darker episodes of the series.** It was also played for tragedy in "Ghost Station." The kill sat was from a lost alien civilization that presumably blew itself to bits. The [=AI=] running the station tried holography and other tricks to try and scare the heroes off, then [[HeroicSacrifice prematurely triggered its self destruct in order to save Earth]].* In ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', an alien race known as the Vok had built a gigantic death ray (well, a heat ray designed to [[EarthShatteringKaboom detonate all the Energon they'd placed in the crust]]) within a second artificial moon orbiting Earth with the purpose of [[AbusivePrecursors getting rid of the Earth "experiment" if it didn't work out or would cause them problems]]. Said ray was blown up when Optimus Primal attempted a HeroicSacrifice. He got better.* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', when Beast Boy and Cyborg's desperate attempts to [[ThirtyMinutesOrItsFree stall the pizza boy]] ultimately result in using one of these to destroy the whole pizzeria. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone They quickly realize that they may have gone too far]].* WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime has established that before he founded MECH, leader Silas was involved in the development of these as part of "Project Damocles". Which was believed to be cancelled, but it turned out the prototype had been built, and when [[spoiler:Silas gets transplanted into Breakdown's chassis and joins the Decepticons]], it gets put to use with great effect by Soundwave.* In ''{{Spliced}}'', Octocat controls a Kill Sat that she uses on people who annoy her.* A Kill Sat made a short appearance in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''. The series ArchEnemy tried to obtain the controls for it, but failed.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]* The actual deployment of nukes in space is prohibited by the 1969 Outer Space Treaty.** That didn't stop the [[RedsWithRockets Soviet Union]] from developing the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_Orbital_Bombardment_System Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS)]], which was designed to deliver a nuclear warhead (or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_independently_targetable_reentry_vehicle warheads]]) by mimicking a satellite's orbital path.*** This loophole was closed by the SALT II treaty in 1979, which specifically banned fractional orbit missiles.* One of the best-known real life examples (although it never passed the experimental stages) was the US "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative Strategic Defense Initiative]]" or "Star Wars" program which was shelved in the closing years of the Cold War. Principally a system to intercept intercontinental missiles from space, it also included "Rods from God" and "Brilliant Pebbles", anti-fortification weapons which (in laymen's terms) were meant to drop big rods or lumps of metal from orbit at underground bunkers, using the [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter kinetic energy]] of the weapon rather than explosives or nukes to do the damage.\\\\Another SDI idea was the pop-up one-shot X-Ray laser satellite. They would be powered by a nuke and theoretically they would toast an area as wide as a football field. The single test towards this design proved inconclusive, though serendipitously fueled the development of plenty of other (often civil) technologies. Still, it may have been the inspiration for ''Film/{{Goldeneye}}'', above.\\\\Rods from God is supposedly back on the drawing board now, as a possible way of discreetly dealing with hardened targets belonging to terrorists or rogue states.\\\\In the decades since it was abandoned, many of the engineers and scientists who were involved in SDI have openly admitted that they'd never expected their projects to work: to them, it was just a handy way to get funding for pure physics research under the guise of applied military R&D.** The scary thing? With the current technology, Rods from God could be built, launched and deployed '''right now'''. YouCanPanicNow.* The Russian Almaz-class military space station ''OPS-2/Salyut 3'' sported a self-defense gun that was tested successfully on a target-satellite (probably one of their own obsolete ones, since shooting down a US satellite would have been considered an act of war). The intent here was probably taking out potential US killer satellites.* The Russians also had the [[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/polyus.htm Polyus project]], an advanced weapons satellite that would have sported particle weaponry, orbital mines, and an anti-observance shroud (read: cloaking device, or rather very dark cover). ''Would'' have -- it was launched upside down, executed a 360-degree spin instead of a 180, and crashed into the ocean.* During the late 1990s, the Russian government announced plans for building a network of mirror satellites to capture and collect sunlight and direct it onto subpolar regions (i.e. Siberia) during winter, to improve agriculture or cut down on electrical lighting during the polar winter. The project seems to have been dropped quietly, due to costs.** That's also a proposed alternative for {{terraform}}ing Mars: since the planet doesn't have enough gravity to retain an atmosphere with significant greenhouse effect (for dummies: the little heat that makes it to Mars escapes too quickly as opposed to Earth where the much thicker atmosphere keeps some of said heat for months; without this, Earth's average surface temperature would be around -18°C), they'd build several orbital mirrors and focus them onto a relatively small area. Even a few sats could heat the target area enough that a human could stroll around with a simple oxygen mask and street clothing. And since HumansAreWarriors, it's only a matter of time before someone gets the idea to weaponize the tech.* OlderThanTheyThink: Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, freaked a lot of people out when it went up, although they were afraid of the possibility of the launch vehicles the Russians now had being used to launch nuclear warheads rather than the satellite itself.* [[OlderThanTheyThink Even Older Than They Think]]: The [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]] called theirs the Sonnengewehr or "Sun Gun", which in turn was based on a 1929 design. A giant space-borne parabolic mirror, it would have been used to burn down cities from space. Let me repeat: [[StupidJetpackHitler The Nazis]] were planning a giant space-borne sun laser. [[http://www.damninteresting.com/the-third-reichs-diabolical-orbiting-superweapon More info here.]]* The ultimate proposed kill-sat is the Nicoll-Dyson Laser. Using a shell of satellites in orbit around the sun (the original proposal for a Dyson Sphere, not a solid shell) which collect solar energy and convert it into a laser beam, James Nicoll calculated that one could use the satellites to create a phased array laser which would have an initial beam width equal to the size of the satellites' orbits and an effective range of ''millions of light years''. [[AwesomeButImpractical Talk about "leading your target".]] However, it should be pointed out that the guy who 'designed' it is a SF blogger and fan-writer, not a scientist or engineer. It's technically ''feasible'', maybe, but in the end, just a plot point idea.* The inversion is more common: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon Anti-satellite weapon]], or ASAT. These range from nuclear explosions [[RecycledINSPACE (IN SPACE!)]] to contemporary missiles. In this age of information, these have incredible destructive potential to infrastructure (compare the 2006 internet slowdown when some undersea cables were destroyed by an earthquake in Taiwan). It's not entirely ominous though, as there are few ways to safely[[note]]hey, it's either this or risk flaming debris falling on your head[[/note]] and economically dispose of unused old satellites.** So far, the US and China have successfully demonstrated ASAT weapons. (The US in 1985, China in 2007, and the US again in 2008, probably to remind China they could do it, too.) The Chinese gained some negative international reputation because they destroyed their satellite in high orbit, leaving over 2,000 potentially-dangerous chunks of debris out there. (The International Space Station is often moved to avoid orbital debris; at least two moves since the Chinese test have been done specifically to avoid its debris--yes, the Chinese literally almost pulled a ''{{Film/Gravity}}''.)* One drawback of proposals for the use of orbiting solar-power satellites as an environmentally-friendly form of energy generation is that any means of delivering the energy to the Earth's surface in useful quantities could potentially be used as one of these if someone hacked the controls.* A man version was proposed (and may or may not have been attempted) in the late sixties with the Lenticular Reentry Vehicle. This craft was a large nuclear powered flying saucer that would have been carried into orbit by booster rockets and covertly loitered in orbit for weeks or even months with a payload of four nukes. If the Soviet Union attacked while one was on patrol, it could act as a revenge weapon and take out the soviet union. While the status of the project is classified, though its existence is not. This means its technically possible this thing was fully functional at one point, though its more likely that it reached the prototype phase and and there was a terrible accident. [[/folder]]